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Doug Slaybaugh: How to Define “Values in Motion” | The Disruptors
Are your firm’s stated values consistent with its behavior?
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The Disruptors
With Liz Farr
For CPA Trendlines
How does your firm define culture? Is your culture consistent with the values posted on the breakroom wall? Doug Slaybaugh, founder of CPA Coach, defines culture as “values in motion.” According to this definition, a firm’s stated values must be evident in the ways a firm actually behaves.
MORE DISRUPTORS: Candy Bellau: The $350 Pricing Mistake that Nearly Broke this Boutique Firm | The Disruptors | Poe: What P.E. Really Wants from Firms | The Disruptors | Blake Oliver: Build a Biz that Runs Without You | Daiber: Use Succession as a Growth Strategy | Cannon: Busy Season is Self-Inflicted | Carroll: When One Person Can Break the Firm | Rampe: Build a Roadmap Even When the Road’s Not There | Chang: Killing SALY, One Agent at a Time |
A firm with the value of philanthropy, for example, should give team members the ability to volunteer or sponsor nonprofit events. “There should be evidence,” Slaybaugh explains. “Otherwise, there’s no evidence of that value. It’s really not your culture.”
Slaybaugh’s previous firm had the often-clichéd value of “people first,” but actually executed on that. Team members were offered the option to buy an additional month of PTO, prorated from their salaries, resulting in an 11-month year with nearly two months of vacation.
Four Types of Tax Projections to Provide
Six thoughts on charging for them.
By Ed Mendlowitz
The CPA Trendlines Practice Doctor
Many accountants do tax projections. Some clients get projections who should not, but there are many who do not, who should.
MORE by Ed Mendlowitz
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Here are some insights about preparing and charging for them … READ MORE →
Seven Things Your Compensation Model Must Accomplish
Take a hard look at your partners.
By Domenick J. Esposito
8 Steps to Great
Let’s take a deep dive into both a firm’s partner mix and its compensation model.
MORE by Domenick J. Esposito
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In a “Good to Great” research study on high-performing organizations performed by Jim Collins, it was concluded that the method of compensation, as a causal factor for high and sustained performance, is largely irrelevant. The study concluded that whatever system is in use, it simply must be rational and equitably managed and that high sustained performance is largely the result of doing many things well.
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One Hundred Clients, One Advisor
Break the capacity ceiling in advisory.
By Eric Eager
10X Advisory
There’s a silent ceiling in most CPA firms that stalls advisory growth – and it’s not demand. It’s capacity.
Most firms max out around six to 10 advisory clients per advisor. That’s it. After that, quality starts to suffer. Conversations get delayed. Prep work takes over. And advisory becomes just another thing on the to-do list.
MORE by Eric Eager
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But what if it didn’t have to be that way?
What if your advisors could serve 10X more clients – without burning out or cutting corners?
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Relevance Is a Cornerstone of Value
Five real-life examples.
By Hitendra Patil
Providing value to clients involves thoroughly understanding your client, anticipating their needs, and offering advice that is both timely and highly relevant.
We discussed earlier why timeliness is the first essential element of valuable advice. Yet, advice given at the right moment but disconnected from the client’s real-world challenges is like a GPS giving directions without knowing your location.
MORE by Hitendra Patil
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In this article, we examine why even the most technically sound advice often falls short when it fails to resonate with the client’s actual context, goals or concerns. Through real-life examples, from generic guidance that missed the mark to targeted insight that drove results, you will learn how to shape advice that fits the moment. It is not just about knowing the client’s business, it’s about understanding what matters most, right now.
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